Retenção e evasão na educação superior: o caso do curso de engenharia civil da Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze how the factors that cause retention and evasion in the Civil Engineering undergraduate course at UFPB are expressed during the period 2013 to 2022. The theoretical framework is based on discussions about the main concepts and factors of these phenomena, on the presentation of the creation of Brazilian universities and on the study of public policies for the expansion and democratization of higher education. Forthat, we resort to Saviani (2004), Gaioso (2006), Pereira (2013), Mancebo (2015), Gilioli (2016), Bortolanza (2017) and also to the Report of the Special Commission of the Ministry of Education (1997), among others. The research is a case study with a qualitative and quantitative approach with exploratory and descriptive characteristics. The delimited range allowed analyzing eighteen academic periods between 2013.1 to 2021.2. Data collection was carried out through questionnaires applied to dropout students and those who were in a situation of prolonged retention, sent via e-mail. In addition, interviews were conducted with professors who taught classes for the course. Data analysis was based on Bardin's content analysis technique and Bourdieu's conception of cultural capital. As a result, it was verified that students tend to drop out in the first three academic periods and that this is, in most cases, apparent dropout and the main causes are due to lack of interest in the disciplines and/or in the course, adaptation difficulty and early choice of profession. As for retained students, it was observed that most are studying between the 10th and 12th academic period, with retention being caused mainly by the fact that the course is full-time, devaluation and lack of perspectives with the profession, in addition to situations resulting from of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to point out that the education received in high school, the lack of relation between the basic cycle and professional disciplines and lack of pedagogical training of professors contribute to the occurrence of these phenomena. Based on these results, an Educational Action Plan (PAE) was prepared, containing six proposals to reduce retention and dropout rates in the Civil Engineering course (UFPB), using the 5W1H tool.